To adequately engage with Jordan Peterson’s Maps of
Meaning: The Architecture of Belief, [[1]far more time and even more space is necessary than is possible in this brief
post. Peterson is the popular Canadian Psychology
Professor from Toronto, who uses philosophical reasoning to explain “how humans
generate ‘meaning.’” [2] Peterson’s manner of
communicating his theories in the 500 pages would dazzle the mind of the
Philosophy of Ethics professor. I found Peterson to be a man on a quest to find
the multitude of questions that haunt him and could help others resolve their
own unanswered questions about life. This search included:
- Reasonable
answers about God, or myth as he refers to it.
- Explanation
of profound evil of humans toward one another
- Economic
and other social injustices [3]
- The
acquisition of meaning
- The
role of culture, community, in the development of meaning how individuals
respond to various situations.
- How
individuals come to share the same moral set of rules.
- The
emergence of a hero type.
- Finally,
is his discussion of Jesus
Peterson’s explanation of the mythological was
interesting but I found it to be void of an aspect of grace. That being said he
did challenge my thinking in regard to culture, family, home, and how that
translating into the church community.
Culture is worked into the very fiber of our identity
within our families, the practices, rituals, values and relationships. It is
within these relationships that our beliefs are formed and tested. Those
beliefs are the means in which a person navigates the disorder and chaos
observed in the world. This is especially true of unspeakable evil and
injustice, out of which the self-sacrificial behavior of the hero may emerge.[4] This type of resilient
individual models the necessary self-reflection and moral determination that is
needed for the society to regain order and maintain it. For the replication of
a peaceful culture to transcend one generation, individuals need to interact
with admirable leaders that embody the qualities and values worthy of respect.[5] Leadership needs to be
approachable, authentic, honest, and accomplished in the aspects worthy of
honor (Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 4:8).[6] Young people who do not
have relationship with individuals that model these characteristics struggle
with their self-worth, identity, and are easily confused.[7]
It is at this point that I return to a previous theme
of home, in terms of Peterson’s logic of meaning, purpose, and navigating life.
Peterson refers to a “place to act,”[8] in which an individual
learns the meaning and value of their actions within community. Home is the first
social construct that provides the foundational base from which all meaning is
derived. A child from birth is acquiring meaning in everything from language,
manners, expectations of social interactions, family values, and occupational
aspirations. The strength, security, and clarity of the home environment
determine the moral priorities through which an individual filters “the methods
and theories of science” [9] they encounter. Nearly
every day I hear one or more of my Dad’s numerous mini lectures, on what is
right, honorable, or wrong. Today, I do not always agree with those lessons,
but they are the orientational point [10] from which my analysis
begins.
According to Bouma-Prediger and Walsh, the home is
where one learns the ultimate meaning and value of one’s actions.[11] It is our introduction to
“the arts…in ritual, drama, literature, and mythology.” [12] The home is the primary
source that informs our values, morality, and meaning. If one is fortunate
enough to be born into a family of relatively low dysfunctionality, that
individual was “shaped” positively by the “consequence(s) of” loving and
supportive “social interaction.”[13]
If in fact, the moral fiber of the culture and meaning
are woven together in the home, without which there is chaos that spills over
into every element of society.[14] Could the current
deterioration of the family unit from abuse, the over-valuing of commodities,[15] among other factors, be
contributing to the confusion of identity within the family, church, and
individuals?
The final tidbit I gleaned from Peterson was his
thoughts on narrative. He claims that narrative, story, or parable, are all the
means by which we learn and retain the intrinsic meaning of “objects,” “myths,”
that “accurately captures the nature of (life’s) rare experiences.” [16] If the local church is to
be God’s expression of home. And home is where learning is assimilated
experientially through story,[17] interaction with worthy
models, and meaningful rituals. It seems to me, that the local congregations
maybe missing this humanities side. There is often a focus on intellectual
explanations, while biblical, they are difficult to replicate with sincere
conviction that is congruous with individual character.
Have we lost the mystical vision of God? In so doing,
have we diminished his omnipotence? Have we damaged our credibility in the
larger community, because we have attempted to explain the mystical
scientifically?
[1] Jordan B. Peterson, Maps of Meaning:
The Architecture of Belief (New York: Routledge, 1999).
[2] Robinson J. Robinson, “The Intellectual
We Deserve,” March 14, 2018, 2,
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/03/the-intellectual-we-deserveM.
[3] Peterson, Maps of Meaning, xii.
[4] Ibid, xx.
[5] Ibid, xiii.
[6] Brené Brown, Dare to Lead: Brave Work,
Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts (New York: Random House, 2018).
[7] Michele Borba Ed.D., Esteem Builders:
A K-8 Self-Esteem Curriculum For Improving Student Achievement, Behavior and
School Climate, Second (Torrence, CA: Jalmar Press, 2003).
[8] Peterson, Maps of Meaning, 9.
[9] Ibid., 1.
[10] Steven Bouma-Prediger and Brian J. Walsh,
Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Pub, 2008).
[11] Ibid.
[12] Peterson, Maps of Meaning, 1.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid, xi.
[15] Jason Paul Clark, “Evangelism and
Capitalism: A Reparative Account and Diagnosis of Pathogeneses in the Relationship”
(Faculty Publications - Portland Seminary, 2018), https://
digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gfes/132.
[16] Peterson, Maps of Meaning, 2.
[17] Bouma-Prediger and Walsh, Beyond
Homelessness.
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